Raleigh Pepsi Plant Reopens After Minor Chemical Spill

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RALEIGH — A minor chemical spill shut down the Pepsi Bottling Company in Raleigh for several hours Tuesday.

Hazmat crews from the Raleigh Fire Department were called to the facility located at Old Wake Forest and Six Forks Road.

About 10:45 a.m., a truck from the Wilson Trucking Company was delivering 55-gallon drums of a cleaning solution to the Pepsi plant.

The driver of the truck called the fire department after noticing an unusual odor, and was concerned that one of the drums may have leaked. Several other deliveries were also on the truck.

Capt. Jerry Pace, of the Raleigh Fire Department, says the cleaning solution was caustic, meaning it can cause burns to the eyes and skin. He says the hazmat team made an assessment and neutralized the spill.

"[The] load shifted and it damaged a 38-pound container of an acid mixture which is a caustic. It ruptured and spilled out into the truck," explained Pace. He says the spill can be considered small due to the nature of the chemical involved.

The truck was located in an isolated parking lot at the Pepsi plant.

About 20 employees working at the facility were told to evacuate, as well as several business in the area.

Several lanes of Six Forks Road has been closed to traffic during the assessment.